A STUNNING country mansion favoured by the Queen Mother could be yours - provided you have a spare £3.25 million.
Saltcote Place, which has been visited by everyone from the royals to stars such as Emma Thompson and Rita Ora, features dozens of rooms and servants' quarters.
The mansion is a stone's throw from Rye and commands spectacular views stretching 60 miles from Kent into Sussex.
Owner Paul King, who rents the home as a wedding venue, said whoever bought the home would own a piece of English history.
He said: "It is beautiful and in a fantastic area. We love doing weddings here so we are going to keep going for another 18 months but after that we want to move on to another adventure.
"It has everything you would want including a separate apartment. You could live here with your partner and her parents and not see them for a week. It is that big."
Influential architect Sir Reginald Blomfield was commissioned to design the home and it was completed after a two year build in 1905.
It was a wedding present for French cognac magnate Captain AAR Hennessy and given his association with the royals, it was visited on a number of occasions by the Queen Mother among others.
Such was the frequency of her visits, the royal cypher, ER, was installed in gold leaf above the portico leading into the vestibule.
Mr King said: "These days for a wedding present you would expect a toaster or maybe some tea towels but Hennessy got this incredible house.
"It has so many fantastic historical features. The oven in one of the three kitchens alone costs more than most family cars.
"I just hope whoever takes it on takes care of it and looks after it."
On the ground floor there are kitchens, servants' rooms, various living and reception rooms as well as a music room.
On the first floor there are ten bedrooms and five bathrooms along with staff accommodation and then a separate apartment on the second floor with three bedrooms and a drawing room.
After being sold by the Hennessy family it was used as a military headquarters, a nursing home and then as a school
Mr King bought it in 2003, the first time it had been in private ownership since 1920.
The home also played host to a star-studded Marks and Spencer advert in 2013.
Actress Emma Thompson, campaigner Doreen Laurence, models Alek Wek, chef Rachel Khoo and musicians Annie Lennox, Lulu Kennedy and Rita Ora
descended on the house for the shoot.
They were filmed eating afternoon tea in one of the dining rooms before posing in the garden.
Mr King said: "They were all fantastic, we had a great time.
"Since then three of the more high profile stars have returned. They're all great, the really famous ones just want to be treated like normal people."
For more details visit saltcoteweddings.co.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel